Founding of Deania 2 (Patreon)

The group quickly found themselves at ease in the Songstone Clan. The elves there made good on their promise to to entertain them and see that they had everything they needed.

Yonda was up to her neck in maps covering every settlement and town, along with pictures of the leaders of each neighboring faction and the Songstone Clan's analysis of their ideals and personalities. It was an incredibly extensive catalogue of information to have been thrown together on such short notice.

While the elders saw to the needs of the leaders, Sam and Dean had been tended to by many of the Songstone Clan's younger elves. Many of them had never seen a true mage before, and even fewer had met a human. The two of them were the thrill of the century for elves from a small clan in the middle of nowhere and Sam and Dean found themselves passing on a few techniques to repay their generous hosts.

"This is a spirit art I picked up while we were exploring some runes." Sam explained. "It uses Sunlight zeal. I know most of you are earth cultivators but I couldn't help but notice you've got an abundance of resources here for Sunlight cultivators. Some of you should consider switching over."

"I think we should all switch over to Dean's spirit art." A mage acolyte said as she leaned against Dean's side, twirling her finger across his chest with a starstruck smile on her face. She'd dressed up more and more over the last few days until she was wearing a a tiny red dress that left as much of her skin exposed as possible as she clung to Dean's arm.

Sam shook his head. It was hard to believe that before they'd arrived that elf had been a standoffish warrior more comfortable with a spear in her hand than a wineglass. Dean had a way of opening people up faster than they could realize what was happening. After spending a few hours guarding Dean's door she'd replaced her armor with a tight-fitting dress, and it wasn't just because he'd been teaching her a few new spells.

Sam couldn't blame the young elf though. From what the Songstone's information said, there wasn't a true mage for leagues. Without a true mage, the mage acolytes were permanently stuck at the peak of mage acolyte. Sure, there were true mage monsters around to hunt and harvest aura fragments from, but only a true mage could safely hunt monsters at true mage. A mage acolyte hunting a true mage monster would be risking their life for an aura fragment that they might not even be able to bond with. Without an existing true mage, it was incredibly difficult to make more true mages.

But we could fix that for them.

Sam knew the Yonda, Erula, and Anyatara still had hundreds of aura fragments in their collection. Sam and Dean hadn't bonded easily and their search had cost the lives of hundreds of monsters and true mages. A tiny bit of generosity today would send this Songstone Clan rocketing to new heights. And if they passed along a few true mage spells to go with the cultivation enhancement the Songstone would dominate this entire region within a generation.

He knew Dean probably would agree in a heartbeat. He was generous, but also impulsive. Sam liked to take a more cautious approach. During their travels they'd run into more than one clan that looked shiny and bright on the outside while practicing cannibalism, soul-sacrifice, and mind magic in the dark of the night. Sam had found no small number of weapons as he investigated the Songstone Clan's vaults, and the number of warriors here surprised him.

Why would a clan of miners and farmers need so many warriors?

Sam didn't know the answer, but he intended to find out.

<scene break>

Night fell on the seventh day of their stay at the Songstone Clan. They'd all been given honor guards from the clanswomen, but Yonda and Erula had turned theirs into maids and Dean had turned his and a half dozen others into company and entertainment.

Sam had given his a powerful sunlight-aspect potion and told her to drink it. It would only be effective if she spent the next three days in dedicated meditation, so he wouldn't be seeing her until she'd utilized the potion to the fullest. It wasn't a particularly powerful potion in Sam's opinion, but the elf treated it like it was a priceless treasure. Now that Dean had already insisted the Songstone guards join him in his bedroom so he could try something new, the hallways were empty.

Sam was new to being a true mage himself, but he'd been lucky enough to bond with an extremely rare aura fragment from an Ageless Owl that let him touch upon strands of fate. He could only work with items, but if he laid a finger on something for long enough and concentrated he would begin to have visions of the item's past.

Sam's talents didn't lie in the physical domain, but he was a true mage and these locks weren't built to hold back his kind. He jostled the lock on the armory door until it slid open and stepped inside. He glanced around the room and found it was filled mostly with shields and spears, tipped with the dense magical wood the elves called ironwood.

The shields were too well worn to have gone unused for long, and the patterns on the spears' handles suggested regular use and wear. Sam ran his fingers across the handles and his mind swam with visions of elves thrusting their spears against wooden dummies for hours on end, training under rain and sun.

Elves had toiled away with these weapons in their hands. Probably every day for years.

That wasn't the kind of training and dedication Sam expected from a tribe at peace. So who were they fighting?

His fingers brushed another spear point. In his mind's eye, a moss monster leaped out of the brush, mouth open and roaring.

Sam shook his head. That was just a nature elemental that hadn't even reached the mage acolyte ranks. It would be no threat to an unarmed mage acolyte, let alone a group of them armed and well-practiced.

There were a few more monsters, many of them small creatures Sam recognized from the Hearthwood forest just north of here. None of them struck him as anything particularly dangerous. The truly frightening monsters in the Devilbeast Wilds wouldn't venture outside their forest where the concentrations of zeal were the highest in the region.

Then Sam's fingers brushed against a broken shaft he hadn't even recognized as the remains of a weapon.

A flash of green tore through Sam's mystical vision and he blinked at how abrupt the memory was. He touched the broken shaft again to get a better feel for the memory. What was that creature?

Though it had the shape of an elf, It was taller than any I'd seen, and muscular too. What broke the spear looked like a hand as big as an elf's head. Behind it was a strong arm that could snap ironwood like a twig.

A musclebound humanoid in green skin... how curious.

There were other worlds, Sam knew. Some of them passed very close to this one. So close that the skies touched on occasion and creatures of power could soar from one world to the next. This didn't look like a creature that could fly, but what if it was a sentient race like an elf? Perhaps they had teleportation arrays like the elves.

"Which would be exactly what we came here to find." Sam muttered to himself. "Perhaps we should stick around until we meet these enemies of the Songstone Clan."

<Scene break>

Earlier during their stay, the Songstone clan elder had asked Yonda, Erula, and Anyatara not to bother with concealing the might of their cultivation bases. In fact, they'd gone to great lengths to lead the three wizards around their entire territory. Sam suspected he now knew why.

"Come on Dean," Sam said for the dozenth time. "We don't want to overstay our welcome here."

"Esteemed true mages!" The Songstone elder said, a bit of panic seeping through her voice. "Please, you could never overstay your welcome with us! Especially the two of you. The benefits my kinswomen have gained from the two of you alone can't be repaid in this lifetime, and that's if you only count the spells and spirit arts you passed along."

Sam shook his head and chuckled. "If you let Dean stay much longer, this will be his clan in another generation."

The Songstone elder seemed perfectly fine with that outcome, but Sam was insistent. Dean put up an even greater protest than the Songstone elder, but soon they were on their way again.

"Ugh... you're such a buzzkill, Sam. You know there were plenty of elves there more interested in you than me, right?" Dean asked once they were out of earshot.

"Shh, Dean. We're not actually leaving." Sam explained cryptically as they turned and gazed at the Songstone settlement from a distance. "If we were really leaving, I would have reconvened with the girls first."

Yonda, Erula, and Anyatara were off exploring the nearby regions. They hesitantly left Sam and Dean in the care of the Songstone Clan. Doubtlessly the Songstone elder was fretting about how she'd explain their sudden departure to the three wizards.

"Oh." Dean shrugged. "I'm glad I convinced you then. Yes, elves everywhere will applaud me for my rhetoric and logic after I tell them the tale of how I stopped you with my words!"

"Shh." Sam repeated. "Get behind this bush and watch with me."

Dean sighed and flopped onto the ground behind Sam. He made no effort to watch whatever Sam was looking at and instead leaned his head against a rock and started snoring.

Sam ignored his companion and continued to watch. Hours passed. The suns overhead set and rose again. Dean snored through it all, as this was likely the only sleep he'd gotten all week. Sam took turns watching and cultivating to keep himself awake. Now that he was a true mage, his mind and spirit had begun to overcome the limitations of his body and staying focused for days on end was only mildly tedious. Finally, he saw what he was looking for. A band of elves armed with the same spears and shields he'd seen in the armory heading out of the settlement.

Sam nudged Dean with his boot. "Wake up Dean. I want to follow them."

Dean yawned. "Watching people, following people. You've got be a little more adventurous Sam!"

Despite his protests, Dean followed Sam's lead as they tailed the group. They were all Songstone mage acolytes, but they had no chance of spotting Sam and Dean. As humans, Sam and Dean had found themselves gifted with even better perception of magic than what the locals enjoyed. Now that they were true mages, those senses had only gotten better.

The elves seemed to march back and forth in a predetermined line at the edge of their furthest field. One of them had her eyes glued to the ground while the rest watched the area around themselves warily. Sam and Dean saw the Songstone Clanswomen collect food and grain from a few local heartwielders in smaller hamlets and villages, but the transactions seemed completely cordial so it didn't look like the Songstone were oppressors of any sort. Sam's impression of them rose, but he would continue to hold judgement for at least a few more years.

After several more hours of waiting, watching, and waking Dean up repeatedly, Sam finally caught sight of the people he'd been looking for.

The Songstone spotted the aftermath of their enemy's arrival before they saw their enemies themselves. A village in the distance was burning. Thatched roofs were going up in flame and Sam could hear a few screams echoing out from between the buildings.

Sam recognized the classic signs of a raiding party and his opinion of the Songstone Clan improved again. He'd heard they considered themselves guardians of this region, but he'd derisively thought that meant collecting tribute instead of protecting anyone.

"Fascinating." Sam said as he studded the scene from afar. He could make out burly green creatures armed with hammers, clubs, and axes stomping through the settlement. They had none of the grace of elves, but far more brute strength. The villagers stood no chance against the raiders as their homes were looted and pillaged.

"But they aren't killing anyone?" Sam muttered as he saw elf after elf disarmed and thrown to the ground before they were bound by strips of leather and rope that seemed made for that purpose. The strapping green creatures collected the elves spellhearts and urged them one by one into a line where they were each bound together and tied to a furry wolf-like beast.

"Prisoners." Sam realized. "They're taking the elves themselves as part of their loot."

Dean wrinkled his nose as the scent of smoke and finally woke up from his latest nap. "What are you muttering about this time, Sam?" Dean asked as he rubbed his eyes. "Are you watching elves bathe again? I'm telling you, it isn't that hard to do a lot more than that."

"No, I'm watching a raid. There's a new non-elf species in this region that appears to be in conflict with the locals. A small village was just burned to the ground and these newcomers are rounding up all the elves. It looks like the Songstone Clan is about to meet them in battle."

Sam rubbed his fingers together. He was curious to see how this fight turned out. How strong were these green-skinned people? Did he want to help the elves? Could he even do so without getting himself and Dean into a situation that would be difficult to get out of? From his observations, the new creatures seemed to be no stronger than mage acolytes, but if they had greater powers supporting them Sam would need to observe more before getting involved.

The lingering lethargy from his nap left Dean instantly. "There's going to be a fight?"

"They're already fighting." Sam said. "It looks like a close fight, but I'd say the green people have an advantage over the Songstone Clan warriors." Sam found it curious that the Songstone Warriors fought as individuals, rather than a cohesive unit. That was a recurring theme Sam and noted while traveling this world. In contrast, for all their barbaric appearance these green-skinned newcomers worked in pairs to defeat and disable their enemies. With their superior tactics, they quickly started capturing Songstone mage acolytes just like they'd been capturing villagers.

Dean sat upright and stared intently into the distance. He frowned as he looked at the fight in the distance. After getting a grip on the situation, he said, "We can take them."

"We don't know that for sure--" Sam began. He needn't have bothered. Dean was already on his way.

<scene break>

Even from a distance, Dean recognized a few of those Songstone clanswomen. The fact that Sam hadn't immediately had them retreat meant they were more than strong enough to wipe out these green-skinned creatures.

Sam was the cautious one, and Dean knew he'd have gotten himself killed ages ago on this world if he hadn't stuck by Sam's side, wizard companions or not. But sometimes Sam needed a little push to do more than watch, and those were the times when Dean had to lead the way.

He ran towards the burning village with no sense of stealth or plans of hiding himself. Dean's frown deepened when he realized many of these orcs were obviously male. Dean loved elves more than anything, and the thought of these green-skinned baboons hauling them off irked him.

The Songstone Clan warriors were outmatched. Those that remained were busy falling back in a disorganized retreat that left at least two of their number in the clutches of the enemy, and two elves were already crying out for their companions as they were bound with the villagers.

Dean arrived with all the grace of a train crashing through a building. His arrival split a hut in half as air brushed the tips of his fingertips in swirling clouds. He'd cultivated air zeal up until true mage, and had recently started mixing it with water and lightning until it looked like he wielded clouds and streaks of light.

The sky was bright and sunny but it dimmed and turned turbulent with his arrival, as though the weather itself heralded Dean's arrival. Dean had worked hard to perfect that spell for his entrance.

Both elves and green-skinned creatures froze when the building burst to splinters and straw. The moment the dust settled, Dean punched the first orc he saw. His fist was cloaked in a gray cloud and it sent the orc flying backwards with a crack of thunder.

His attack had sent the green-skinned monster sprawling in a pile of debris, dropping his axe. Dean liked the sinister look to the thing and picked up, hefting it in his hand.

"Alright!" Dean said as he examined the weapon. "Who wants a piece of me?"

Three green-skinned humanoids, all muscular and clearly male, pulled away from the line of captured villagers, hands on their weapons as they charged Dean in unison.

One of them hurled a javalin at him but Dean was already rolling. He spread his fingers wide and arcs of white electricity bounced between them. He threw his hand forward and the bolts of lightning that shot out struck all three simultaneously. They grunted in unison but largely shrugged off the attack.

"The lot of you are pretty tough." Dean grunted. He'd noticed the axe he'd picked up was heavy, even for him. The muscles on these guys wasn't just for show.

One of the green-skinned creatures howled and raised a hammer overhead, trying to bring it down on Dean's skull.

Dean slipped to the side, kicking the back of his knee until the creature crumpled and then blasting him with a more concentrated blast of lightning zeal up close. He hefted the stolen axe and swung it at the green-skinned creatures neck. It didn't sink in easily, but Dean was stronger and faster than any elf true mage he'd met. His enemy was dead before it even knew what happened.

Two more were coming for him then, so Dean decided it was time to get serious. He unleashed his aura and channeled power into it. Gray mist swirled around him as though he stood in the heart of a storm. He pressed his fingers together, controlling his aura rather than his body and bidding it to envelop and destroy his enemies.

Two of them were swept up in the surrounding winds and their fates were sealed. Dean had bonded with an aura fragment that would allow him to cut through anything. Erula claimed that someday he'd be able to use the aura fragment to slash apart space itself and add it to his cultivation, but for now all Dean could manage was flesh and bone.

The two green-skinned creatures collapsed to the ground as their blood spilled on the ground. White light streamed off them in long trails, similar to elves but it appeared to be a slower and longer process.

Now that Dean had slain three of their number, the newcomers abandoned their captives and prizes to flee. Dean let them. Reputation opened doors and scared of future foes, so Dean liked to let enough of his enemies live to spread his far and wide.

Dean's aura swept the village, spraying rain and wind that extinguished the fires.

Sam had dealt with a few enemies of his own. He might not like physical confrontation, but smoldering embers where a cluster of green-skinned creatures once stood was all it took to see that he was perfectly capable of it when needed.

Sam was more inclined to finish off his enemies completely so that none escaped. Of the foes he faced, there was only one left. Dean found her curious. It was definitely a her, whereas all the other raiders had been male. She was smaller than her male counterparts, but still looked sturdy and muscular. Despite her defined muscles she still seemed voluptuous in all the right places.

"You want to question her?" Dean asked.

"I like to hear all sides of any story." Sam said. "Besides, they were here to take elves captive. She can't bee too upset if she's taken captive instead."

Dean pointed at the green-skinned woman's weapon and she understood his meaning. She dropped it on the ground, and held up a pair of open hands as she stripped off her armor. When she was done with that, she started working at the clothes underneath.

Dean quirked an eyebrow and glanced at Sam. "She's your prisoner, buddy."

Sam groaned. "This always happens when we take prisoners. Everyone here certainly has strange ideas about surrendering."

Personally, Dean was more interested in the elves than the newcomer. He'd leave questioning her to Sam.

"You... saved us!" An elf rejoiced as she wrapped her arms around Dean and wept for joy. "You're like a hero straight out of legend!"

"That's me!" Dean grinned. "Hero and savoir all! A brave champion who defends the weak! Incredibly handsome and charming too!"

"Modest as well." The elf laughed as she smiled back. The tension eased out of her shoulders as Dean untied her hands. "The whole village will have to think of a way to thank you."

Dean winked. "If you make me a promise, I'll find a way to hold you to it."

Note:

I'll be uploading Amisra Copperguard's spell poll shortly.